Public bug reported:

Binary package hint: coreutils

When tail -f has inotify enabled and hits the max_user_watches limit of
inotify, the resulting error message is very misleading.

To reproduce:
1) Make sure you will hit the limit if you try another inotify request
    sudo sh -c 'echo 10 > /proc/sys/fs/inotify/max_user_watches'
2) Create a file:
    touch /tmp/hello
3) Follow it:
    tail -f /tmp/hello

Result:
tail: cannot watch `/tmp/hello': No space left on device

Expected result:
tail: cannot watch '/tmp/hello' because inotify reported: No space left on 
device

It can be verified by using strace tail -f /tmp/hello:
inotify_add_watch(4, "/tmp/hello", 
IN_MODIFY|IN_ATTRIB|IN_DELETE_SELF|IN_MOVE_SELF) = -1 ENOSPC (No space left on 
device)
--- 
Architecture: amd64
CheckboxSubmission: c61c47905a08381ec5d89e05cd06d034
CheckboxSystem: d00f84de8a555815fa1c4660280da308
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 10.10
InstallationMedia: Ubuntu 10.10 "Maverick Meerkat" - Beta amd64 (20100901.1)
NonfreeKernelModules: nvidia
Package: coreutils 8.5-1ubuntu3
PackageArchitecture: amd64
ProcEnviron:
 PATH=(custom, user)
 LANG=en_US.utf8
 SHELL=/bin/bash
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 2.6.35-24.42-generic 2.6.35.8
Tags: maverick
Uname: Linux 2.6.35-24-generic x86_64
UserGroups: adm admin cdrom dialout lpadmin plugdev sambashare

** Affects: coreutils (Ubuntu)
     Importance: Undecided
         Status: New


** Tags: apport-collected

** Tags added: apport-collected

** Description changed:

  Binary package hint: coreutils
  
  When tail -f has inotify enabled and hits the max_user_watches limit of
  inotify, the resulting error message is very misleading.
  
  To reproduce:
  1) Make sure you will hit the limit if you try another inotify request
      sudo sh -c 'echo 10 > /proc/sys/fs/inotify/max_user_watches'
  2) Create a file:
      touch /tmp/hello
  3) Follow it:
      tail -f /tmp/hello
  
  Result:
  tail: cannot watch `/tmp/hello': No space left on device
  
  Expected result:
  tail: cannot watch '/tmp/hello' because inotify reported: No space left on 
device
  
  It can be verified by using strace tail -f /tmp/hello:
  inotify_add_watch(4, "/tmp/hello", 
IN_MODIFY|IN_ATTRIB|IN_DELETE_SELF|IN_MOVE_SELF) = -1 ENOSPC (No space left on 
device)
+ --- 
+ Architecture: amd64
+ CheckboxSubmission: c61c47905a08381ec5d89e05cd06d034
+ CheckboxSystem: d00f84de8a555815fa1c4660280da308
+ DistroRelease: Ubuntu 10.10
+ InstallationMedia: Ubuntu 10.10 "Maverick Meerkat" - Beta amd64 (20100901.1)
+ NonfreeKernelModules: nvidia
+ Package: coreutils 8.5-1ubuntu3
+ PackageArchitecture: amd64
+ ProcEnviron:
+  PATH=(custom, user)
+  LANG=en_US.utf8
+  SHELL=/bin/bash
+ ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 2.6.35-24.42-generic 2.6.35.8
+ Tags: maverick
+ Uname: Linux 2.6.35-24-generic x86_64
+ UserGroups: adm admin cdrom dialout lpadmin plugdev sambashare

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https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/700958

Title:
  tail -f gives misleading error message when inotify limit is reached

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